Good evening. Here is theTuesday, September 10edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Charges against interim parliament speaker dropped
Interim Speaker of Parliament Peter Žiga. (source: TASR - Martin Baumann)
A prosecutor has halted criminal proceedings against interim Speaker of Parliament Peter Žiga, a member of the Hlas party, citing the expiration of the statute of limitations. This decision follows amendments to criminal law introduced by the current government of Robert Fico, of which Hlas is a coalition partner. The amendments significantly shortened the statute of limitations for corruption and economic crimes.
“The prosecutor issued a resolution to stop the criminal prosecution due to the statute of limitations,” the General Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to the news website Aktuality.sk.
Former economy minister Žiga had faced charges of bribing a Supreme Court judge. Had he been convicted, he could have faced a prison sentence of two to five years.
Žiga, however, has consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that there was neither evidence nor witnesses to support the case. He accused the previous administration, led by the OĽaNO movement, of attempting to silence political opponents.
“The prolonged prosecution without evidence or witnesses had one aim – to harm an opposition politician, preventing him from fully participating in public life,” Žiga commented, “The accusation that a government official bribed judges so the state could acquire the Gabčíkovo hydropower plant was absurd from the start.”
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FEATURE STORY
From Alaska to Hobart: Slovak filmmaker explores Italian astrologer’s ‘birthday trips’ therapy
The main character of the documentary film "Wishing on a Star" is Italian astrologer Luciana de Leoni. (source: FILMTOPIA)
The documentary “Wishing on a Star”, which explores the pursuit of happiness, is set to debut in Slovak cinemas in late September. Directed by Slovak filmmaker Peter Kerekes, the film follows the story of Italian astrologer Luciana de Leoni, who provides guidance on how to achieve fulfilment in life.
EVENT
For public transport fans only - POSTPONED BY A WEEK DUE TO EXPECTED RAIN OVER THE WEEKEND
On Saturday, Bratislava’s public transport company (DPB) will host a day of cultural and transport activities. (source: TASR)
On Saturday, Bratislava’s public transport company (DPB) will host a day of cultural and transport activities, including a farewell ride for the 25 Tr trolleybuses on their final journey. From 10:00 to 17:00, visitors can take a behind-the-scenes tour of public transport operations behind the scenes, with opportunities to see a tram from various angles and try reconnecting trolleybus poles to the overhead wires. The event will also showcase historical and modern vehicles, including the iconic Cabrio bus, and offer a trip through the bus wash. To reach Depo Jurajov Dvor, tram line 4 will run every 15 minutes from Dúbravka to the depot, and pedestrians can enter from Vajnorská and Pri dvore streets.
IN OTHER NEWS
As part of consolidation efforts, financial resources could potentially be gained by no longer designating certain public holidays as non-working days, said PM Robert Fico.
Ukraine has expressed disappointment over the statements made by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Monday, which echoed claims used by Russian propaganda.
Slovakia, along with other European Union countries, will not face a shortage of natural gas this winter. In an interview with the SITA newswire, Oleksiy Chernyshov, head of the Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz, assured that no one in Europe will be left out in the cold. “Some media outlets are trying to convince certain Eastern European countries that they will freeze. No, no one will freeze. There is enough gas, storage facilities across Europe are full, and nothing dramatic will happen,” he said. Ukraine does not plan to renew its gas transit agreement with Russia across its territory from the new year.
Judge Juraj Kapinaj is unable to preside over the case involving former National Crime Agency investigators connected to Ján Čurilla, as he has been recused. The Bratislava Regional Court made the decision to exclude the judge following a complaint from the investigators. Kapinaj had initially detained these officers in 2021, but they were released after two weeks due to insufficient grounds for criminal prosecution. (Aktuality)
The Supreme Court has dismissed a complaint from the Governor of the National Bank of Slovakia, Peter Kažimír, who is facing corruption charges.The former finance minister for Smer had lodged an appeal against the judge’s decision, asserting that the indictment met legal requirements. According to the prosecution, Kažimír, while serving as finance minister, repeatedly requested the former head of the central tax office, František Imrecze, to ensure that several selected firms received VAT refunds worth €3 million ahead of others. In return, he gave Imrecze a bribe of €48,000. (TASR)
Former general director of the state enterprise Lesy SR (Forests of the Slovak Republic), Jozef Minďaš, has been found guilty in a case involving disadvantageous contracts for the leasing of hunting grounds (2007-2009). The court has sentenced him to a two-year suspended prison term with a three-year probation period, along with a €5,000 fine. The severity of the sentence was influenced by a recent amendment to the Penal Code, which came into effect this year. The court’s decision is final. (TASR)
MPs returned to parliament on Tuesday after the summer recess. (source: TASR - Dano Veselský)
WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: Expect a mostly cloudy day with morning fog. There may be occasional light showers, but these will be rare. Daytime temperatures will range from 19°C to 25°C. (SHMÚ)
SEPTEMBER 11 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Bystrík.
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